Automobile seats are equipped with seat belts to restrain forward and lateral motion of the occupant during a collision. The seat belt often includes both a lap belt and an upper torso or shoulder restraint portion. In most present-day vehicles, the shoulder and lap belts are combined in a single belt system. In particular, the seat belt for the front seat of a vehicle is typically anchored at a first end to the frame of the vehicle, usually near the floorpan alongside and toward the rear of the seat, and at the other end to a retractor assembly which is typically mounted at the base of the B-pillar of the vehicle. In order to ensure that the belt is properly routed over the shoulder of the occupant of the seat, a guide ring is provided that is generally mounted toward the top of the B-pillar so that the belt emanating from the retractor is initially routed upwards along the B-pillar and through the guide ring. The tongue plate for the seat belt buckle is attached to the seat belt intermediate the guide ring and the first anchor point. Typically, the position of the tongue plate on the seat belt can be slidably adjusted to accommodate fore and aft adjustment in the position of the seat as well as variations in the size of the occupant.
The guide ring is typically formed as a unitary metal loop that defines a guideway through which the belt is allowed to freely pass. Generally, the configuration of the guideway opening is only slightly larger than that necessary to accommodate the belt to prevent the belt from twisting as its passes through the guide ring.
However, once installed, the one-piece guide ring cannot be removed or replaced without disassembling or removing either the entire seat belt assembly or by cutting the belt at the first anchor point and subsequently re-stitching the belt to the anchor mounting tab. Both of these solutions are, of course, costly and impractical.